Nitro (lacquer) over MinWax Polyshades?

These Minwax people... I tell ya, the colour I wanted is all there, but
the sheen and basic levelness of the finish sucks.
What I have is 2 coats of MinWax Polyshade on cherry. Absolutely love
the colour as my test-piece indicated I would.
But I'm spoiled. I like my finished looking like a french rub. 33%
sheen, level, deep, clear and rich.
I know how to do that with NGR and sanding-sealer and lacquer (cat), but
got lured into this Polyshade quagmire.
The stuff just won't lie down with an even sheen. Yup tried almost
everything on my test pieces including Penetrol.
I have always been really proud of my finishes, now it is my turn in one
of the bathrooms, and I stray. Woe is me. No cigar or biscuit. Bad dog.
Soooo.... anybody ever try to blow catlacquer on polyshades? Am I
cruising for the Sharpei look? All wrinkly?
I guess acrylic water bases lacquer is an option, I'm reasonably deft
with that stuff. Did I just say deft? Deft? Will that work?

I think I would replicate your crappy finish on a test piece and try shooting
the lacquer over it to see how it behaves. It wouldn't surprise me if the
lacquer caused unwanted behavior. Cats and dogs living together; that kind of
thing.

x2.
Polyurethane once it's thoroughly cured will put up with a lot though.
Personally I'd shoot a couple of coats of clear Minwax poly over it on
the basis that it's the same system and Minwax says that they work and
play well together, and work my hand rubbed on that if I couldn't get an
as-sprayed that I liked.

I like that. I think that's great advice. Keep in mind you won't
know how you actually fared for a couple of months. You will need the
Minwax try cure out for about 21 days to hit hard before coating with
the lacquer, then another 21 for the lacquer to do the same. Then you
can inspect for witness lines, wrinkles, tiny bubble from outgassing,
etc.

Now that I would say no to doing. Remember, when clear finishes cure
out, they leave behind resins, nothing more (except maybe flatners).
So you will have a clear layer of plastic polyresin cured out to solid
plastic on the wood. Due to the lack of porosity of polyurethane
resins (they are waterproof, right?), I wouldn't even try adding a
layer of dissimilar plastic film over it.

I don't think old faithful will pull you out here. Remember, unless
it is their line of poly, the DEFT product is just a nice behaving
lacquer.
I have a couple of thoughts.
First, if your project is small enough to do this, you might get on
this:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2coq2gv
This was a much discussed topic a while back on different boards as
some instrument makers are changing from lacquers to poly finishes on
some instruments.
Although I can't find the damn picture, I had one at one time where
Jeff Jewitt polished out a polyurethane table top to where it looked
like a mirror. It was poly, and followed a variation method as
mentioned above. They actually put a can of poly on the table top and
took a picture; the reflectivity made it look like two cans.
In order to get enough material to polish down, you will have to add
more build coats so you can cut down to smooth with your abrasives.
The other thought.... why not buy Minwax gloss poly and go over the
top of the existing finish. You could lightly scuff sand, then apply
several thin coats of gloss as per manufacturer instructions. Then
you wouldn't lose your color and would build a bit of depth to the
finish.
If you started with the gloss poly first, you could add until you had
about 7 - 9 mils thickness. If it wasn't sufficiently shiny or
glossy, then you could try the polish.
Just a couple of ideas....
Robert

*S*... the Abralon Church meets @...???? That stuff is undoubtably
the very best sanding/polishing materials on the market. With the
right progression of Abralon, I can make Onyx Black solid surface
shine like it is wet. I have even buffed out scratches from the
dustcover of my turntable.
Minwax gloss coming up..... stay tuned. Thanks for all the input

It is poly over lacquer that is a problem. The other way around is all
ok. I would scuff the poly so the lacquer lays down OK.
Of course testing would be the prudent approach but it is the fact
that lacquer and be disolved that makes laying a solvent based finish
over it creates wrinkles as the two mediums dry at a different rate.
Once poly is dry, it is done. Only flame will soften it.

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